2009 – Record year for tourism in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

• More summer visitors than any other Federal state
• Growths in domestic tourism
• Increasing satisfaction levels of guests
• High increases in camping

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern looks back at a successful 2009.

In this year as well as the last two years, the North-East tops the statistics of the German lowland states in its percentage growth rates of overnight stays. For the third time in a row, a record number of overnight stays were far beyond par in 2009. Despite the economic crisis, overnight stays increased by 3.5 percent (28.5 million), one million more than in 2008. The number of arrivals have also increased by 5.5 percent in 2009. The long-term trend towards shorter breaks is still continuing.

The use of the beds offered increased slightly in 2009 to over 40 percent and was slightly higher than in 2008 (39.8 percent). Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is thus also maintaining its position as the head of the lowland states.

According to a guest survey for the quality monitor of Germany tourism, the guests gave an average mark of 1.7 for their holiday in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The quality and satisfaction in comparison to the previous year has slightly improved once more.

The most important criterion for the travel decision in 2009 was scenery and nature with 85 percent of the summer visitors. Good air and climate was in second place with 76 percent. No other Federal state reaches such high levels in these areas.

With 2,003 hours of sun, the Greifswalder Oie off the Island of Rügen was the sunniest place in Germany in 2009. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern also leads the state statistics with an average of 1,835 hours of sun.

The summer travel analysis of the European Tourism Institute (ETI) revealed that more than one in four of German summer tourists (26.1 percent) travelled to the north. This was followed at some distance by Bavaria (17.7 percent) and Schleswig-Holstein (14.8 percent).